by Lia London
Barth stared at her. The lilt in her voice and the tilt of her hips were both new. He approved of this side of her, except it terrified him. What if he was reading her wrong, and she really detested him? What if she was counting the minutes until he left?
“What if you stop gawking at me and tell me what you need in order to get this project done?”
The tightness in Barth’s chest dissipated and he patted the stool beside him. “Why don’t you come on over and watch? If you think I’m doing something stupid, say so. We’re a team, right?”
As she slid back into place beside him, the heat returned. He shifted the mouse to wake the screen and took a deep breath. He and Chieko could never actually be a match, right? Not for more than a casual date or two. They were too different.
But her skin felt heavenly against his arm. He’d type everything one-handed if it meant keeping the connection. His heart beat like it was a Fourth-and-Goal play. So close, but he still had work to do, and a fumble could spell disaster.
Chapter 7 ~ Digging up the Past
“Look at you all sunshiney and happy this morning. What happened to you?” Barth held open the door for Chieko as she climbed into his truck.
She bit back an even bigger smile and scrambled to explain her giddy anticipation of another full day with him. The weekend in between their last meeting felt at least five days long, and she reluctantly admitted to herself she had missed him. “Oh, you know. I’m feeling really proud of us for the first segment, and I’m excited to see what we can do today.”
Barth shut the door, and she watched him jog smoothly around the front, admiring his athletic build, deliciously visible beneath his taut, gray U of O long-sleeved t-shirt.
He slid into the driver’s seat, practically humming. “They really liked what we did, huh?”
Chieko nodded. “Parker called it a ‘noble first effort’, and coming from her, it means we’re up for a Pulitzer prize or something.” She couldn’t resist touching his arm. “Thanks to you, Barth. I totally sucked, but you made it all come out right.”
He leaned his head closer. “We’re a team, right? We help each other.”
“I feel like you’re the coach, though.”
“Nah, maybe the captain of the team.” He started the engine and worked the three-point turn to get out of the narrow parking lot.
Chieko tried not to watch his every move, but since his eyes remained occupied with checking the rearview mirror and looking over his shoulder, she stole a few glances. With fascination, she noted the contours of his neck.
Who had a neck that looked that strong?
None of the guys her parents wanted her to date, for sure. They all had pencil necks and brawny bank accounts. Exactly the opposite of Barth.
She peeked again and decided she liked the shape of Barth’s ears.
And that dimple. She wanted to reach out and poke it with her fingertip.
“Did I miss a spot shaving?” asked Barth, swiping the smooth skin behind his ears.
“Huh? Oh. No. I don’t think so.” She brushed the side of his head with her thumb. “Nope. No stubbly bits.” A zing of happy jitters rocked her, and she pulled her hand away quickly. If she didn’t watch herself, she’d let her emotions carry away her good sense, and she’d be left with a shell full of stupid.
Forcing her gaze out the windshield, she redirected her thoughts. “Impressive, really. I can’t ever shave my legs without missing a patch. I don’t notice until later, and then I’m sure everyone in the universe is looking right at it.”
Barth chuckled, and Chieko mentally punched herself in the mouth for saying something so idiotic.
“Are you one of those girls who’s always thinking everyone’s looking at their imaginary flaws?”
“Who says they’re imaginary? I make mistakes all the time.”
“That’s a good sign,” said Barth, switching lanes. “Means you’re human.”
Chieko stared at him for a minute, baffled by his easy acceptance of imperfection. “Says the guy who cleaned up my sloppy interview at the museum into a work of art.”
“Aw, how nice of you to say, but perfection is an illusion unless you’re talking about a perfect tackle or a completed touchdown pass.”
Chieko snorted. “Okay, coach, or captain, or whatever.” She took a deep breath and muted the voice in her head telling her jocks weren’t worth her time. That was her parents’ ideology.
She cleared her throat. “Three hours to Fossil, right?” Talking shop would help keep her mind in charge.
“Yeah, should be easy, going out the I-84 until the 206, and bam! We’ll be out in the middle of nowhere in no time.”
“Should we plan what to ask?”
Barth shrugged. “I guess. But if you script it too much, you might sound all serious again. You should let it flow naturally.”
A lump formed in Chieko’s stomach. “I’m not great at improvising.”
“That’s not what Amaya says,” countered Barth. “She said once you got warmed up you could improvise better than anyone on the team, even Jill Ripley, and she lasted pretty long on the show.”
“Wow, really?” Chieko sat taller, surprised and pleased by the praise from Amaya. Neither of them made it past the first round of Who Wants to Be a Soap Star, but Chieko always secretly esteemed Amaya as the most talented of them all.
“So maybe we can get you warmed up on the way,” suggested Barth.
“Um. How?”
“You could practice interviewing me, maybe. Keep asking questions as they come to you, and I’ll try to think of stuff to say. Just promise not to laugh if I sound dumb.”
“Dumb interviewing Dumber?”
“Aw, now that ain’t nice.”
Chieko grinned and punched his arm lightly. “You know I don’t think you’re dumb.”
“Okay, then fire away. Get in a rhythm of asking stuff, and I’ll try to keep you laughing because you’re so pretty when you smile.”
“Gah, no flirting!” She couldn’t flatten her lips or the surge of happiness in her heart.
“I meant your voice sounds better when you smile. Yeah, that’s right.” His eyes remained on the road. Even so, Chieko half believed Barth could see inside her soul somehow.
Well, if he wanted her to interview him, maybe she could glimpse inside of his.
“When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?” asked Chieko.
“NFL player, of course.”
“Really? Why?”
Barth cast her a skeptical look. “Seriously? Don’t you know little boys? They all want to be some kind of professional athlete when they grow up.”
“Okay, but why else?”
Barth twisted his lips. “I guess I wanted to be rich, so I could buy my mom and dad a big, fancy house.”
Chieko nodded, pausing. Her next question came more tentatively. “Are you super disappointed not to be in the NFL now?”
Barth thought for a moment before surrendering the truth. “I think I’m more disappointed that my mom and dad don’t want a house together any more. They divorced when I was twelve.”
“Ooh, middle school years. That bites. Like there isn’t enough going on at that age.”
“Tell me about it,” agreed Barth.
Chieko wagged a finger. “No, this interview is about you.”
An inkling of doubt crept into Barth’s brain. Maybe he shouldn’t open this play so wide. There were holes all over the place where Chieko might run through, and he could lose the game.
“Okay, then ask something, and keep it light. Remember, I’m supposed to try to be funny.”
“Why do you always want to be funny?”
Barth gaped at her placid, neutral interviewer’s expression. “That’s a low blow, Chieko.”
She turned to face him, her knee resting on the bench seat. “Why?”
“Stop asking deep questions!” he squeaked.
“Okay, okay!” Chieko backed down and let out a nervou
s laugh. She let out a soft sigh, and Barth’s stomach loosened an inch.
“We’ll be filming teenagers from Wheeler High School for this one,” said Barth. “Ask me questions you might ask a sixteen-year-old.”
“Hmmm, like who have you kissed?” The tease in her voice sent tickling curls down his legs, and he hit the accelerator with a sharp burst. The truck jerked, and Chieko flopped off balance for a moment. “Oh-ho! Sounds like I hit an interesting vein for this story! Do tell. Who’ve you been smooching that’s noteworthy?”
Barth gripped the steering wheel. “You know a gentleman never tells.”
Chieko scooted closer and tapped his shoulder with her fingers. “Glad to hear you’re a gentleman.” Once again, her tone sent jitters through him. He needed to get out and run some lines before he went crazy. Ever since the afternoon in her apartment, he could scarcely blink without picturing her smiling at him with her dark eyes shining.
Had he flirted his way into a trap like a fool in love?
No, not love.
A crush.
Just a crazy little crush.
“Try again, Miss Chieko,” he said, steadying his breathing. “Have mercy, and don’t get me thinking about kissing with a cute little doll like you sitting so close.”
To his relief, she let out a shrill yelp and shoved his arm before pulling away.
Good. He could flirt himself right back out of the box.
“All right, Barth. How about TV shows. What’s your favorite? Is that a safe question?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, and that’s an easy one. Anything on ESPN where they’re analyzing the best plays in the NFL.”
“And why is that?” she followed up logically.
“So, I can get better at my game.” He paused, the empty hole in his life cracking wider. “Which I guess doesn’t matter so much anymore, huh?”
“Why does it have to stop mattering to you just because you aren’t playing all the time?”
Barth frowned. “That’s a good question. I don’t know if I know the answer. Maybe because watching that stuff and knowing I won’t have a chance to apply it reminds me I’m not in the game anymore.”
When she didn’t respond right away, Barth worried he’d sounded whiny. Grammy MarLee would have scolded him for hosting such a long pity party.
Chieko spoke softly. “It must be so hard for you. I mean, you had this thing that was such a huge part of your life for so long, and then …” She shrugged.
“Exactly.” Relieved she understood, he added, “I guess I’m going through a young life crisis.”
“Ha! That’s cute. Does it come with a shiny, red convertible?”
“Don’t I wish!”
“Really? You don’t seem like the convertible kind of guy.”
Barth made a show of knitting his brows. “What are you talking about? I’ve got the perfect hair for it.”
Chieko burst out laughing, and the sound washed over Barth like a refreshing shower after a long workout.
“Good, good. You keep that sound in your voice, and this next shoot will be even better.” He smiled. “Next question?”
They passed the miles talking about favorite stores, video games, and snack foods, and with each passing rest stop he could feel them relaxing into each other’s physical and mental space like teammates after a week of daily doubles.
“This is a town? It looks like the set from an old western movie.” Chieko frowned. “Does the population sign seriously say 446?”
“You are now entering and leaving Wheeler, Oregon,” said Barth with a smooth announcer’s voice.
“Ha! Don’t blink, or you’ll miss downtown.”
“Too late.” Chieko made a show of fluttering her eyes. “I thought we were sent here so Parker’s fiancé wouldn’t have to deal with crowds.”
Barth shrugged. “Maybe they got swarms of gophers or something.”
“Right there,” said Chieko, pointing to a crowd of teens gathered in the Wheeler High School parking lot.
Barth chuckled. “Do you think that’s the whole high school, or just the science class?”
“Look at the big sign. Which one of us is the celebrity?” she asked. “The weekend news anchor or the Duck football star?”
“Today, they’re the celebrities, remember? Let’s make them feel real special for their find.”
Chieko looked at Barth and her whole being smiled. For someone who had so much going for him, his humble side acted like a magnet to her after so many years of pretentious jerks.
“Need help with the gear?”
Barth shrugged. “Let’s find out if we’re going to be inside or out.”
A thin-haired man in a pinstriped blue shirt and tie came towards them. “Hi, I’m Nathan Nichols, principal here at Wheeler. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Chieko grinned and shook his hand. “That’s a warm voice you’ve got there. With a name like Nathan Nichols, you should have my job.”
“That’s so kind of you to say, Miss Makiguchi,” he said, dipping his head a little.
Barth nudged her with his elbow and whispered, “It’s you. You’re the celebrity they’re excited about.”
The principal continued, extending both hands to Barth. “And you’re Jefferson from the Oregon Ducks! You’re all over the field!”
Chieko smirked at Barth and muttered under her breath. “I beg to differ. You’re the celebrity.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Barth, trying not to grin at Chieko’s aside by keeping his eyes on Nichols.
“Sometimes it seemed like there were two of you out there!” continued Nichols.
“Uh, there were, sir. My twin brother played on the team, too. We both did line work.”
“Well, that explains it!” Nichols’ beamed. “How do you tell the two of you apart?”
Barth puffed out his chest. “I’m the good-looking one. Garold’s got these big ol’ dreadlocks clouding up his profile.”
Chieko squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep from laughing. So much for the humble side of Barth.
“Where would you like us to set up, Mr. Nichols?” she asked.
Nichols turned and signaled to someone holding the Welcome to Wheeler banner. “David Stevenson is our science teacher. His class made the discovery. Let’s ask him.”
Stevenson proved to be a tall, spindly man with a beard and enormous ears. He dragged Barth and Chieko over to introduce his class. With an awkward flourish, he stopped beside three shy teens. “This is Daniel, Lauren, and Jennifer. They’re the ones who first made the find.”
Chieko flicked her fingers at Barth to get him moving, but he’d already swung his hand-held camera into place.
“That’s great,” said Chieko. “Daniel, Lauren, and Jennifer, can you tell us about how you made your discovery?”
A blonde girl with a single braid cleared her throat and glanced at the others before answering. “We were doing a field trip with the class on the 3.2-mile loop in Blue Basin, and, um… Actually, we were kind of goofing around, climbing on rocks, and one of them was smoother than the others. We checked it out closer, and it turns out it was a fossil with a turtle shell imprint in it.”
“It’s like twenty billion years old!” added the boy, Daniel.
The blonde girl stabbed him with her elbow and shook her head.
“Or something,” amended Daniel.
Barth whistled, and after a brief consultation, he and Chieko made a plan to film the students in their classroom with the actual fossil they planned to excavate from a giant crate in the corner. The students eagerly cooperated, showing how they chiseled, scraped, or brushed away at the small boulder to reveal the clear outline of a prehistoric turtle. Before the school day concluded, everyone who wanted to be featured had gotten some time in front of the camera.
“You guys are awesome,” said Chieko as they wrapped up the interview. “Any chance we can close out with your school fight song? Or a cheer or something?”
To Chieko’s surprise, sev
eral students burst into a cheer about the Wheeler County Rattlers. She clapped along, unable to stop from smiling at their evident school pride. It brought her back to happier, cheerleading days in high school pep assemblies.
The bell rang, and the kids bolted out the door. Even their celebrity status couldn’t keep teens from the more important world of gossiping at the water fountain or wrestling with books in their lockers.
“That was fun!” Mr. Stevenson pumped Chieko’s hand. “Thanks so much for featuring the kids. Any idea when this will air?”
Chieko shook her head. “No clue. We’re only the field team. The producers are up in Washington. I think it’ll be before the end of the year, though. I hope so, for the kids’ sake.”
She collected the release forms to allow the minors to be shown on television, and they said good-bye to the principal and science teacher. As they crossed back to the truck carrying the gear, Barth beamed. “The day’s still young. Want to get some footage of the actual fossil bed?”
Chieko eyed the lonely hills surrounding the town. “How far?”
“A few minutes up the way. It’s got some nice white cliffs according to the Google pics I saw. Maybe we can get some good lighting if we wait until sunset.”
“Sunset in the middle of nowhere?” Chieko lifted an eyebrow. “And me without a thing to wear!”
Barth laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Aw, you’ll look okay to the rattlesnakes.”
“Rattlesnakes!” Chieko squeaked, pulling away.
“I’ll keep you safe,” said Barth, tucking her into his embrace again.
This time she didn’t resist. Sunset with Barth sounded intriguing. A desert full of rocks and rattlers, not so much.
***
Chieko hugged herself against the chill and scowled at the jagged, chalk-white rock formations against the pink-tinged sky. Two hours had passed while they got gas and a deli lunch in town and reviewed the video footage. Now they stood in the famous fossil beds that had given the town its name.
“Tell me again why we need these shots?”
Barth moved his hand in a wide arc. “Don’t you think it’d be neat to have the voiceover of the kids telling how they found the fossil while we glide through this dramatic scenery?”